Seiya Suzuki. (Photo by Yuichi Masuda/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Braves are no longer a likely destination for Seiya Suzuki in his free agency.
While the Atlanta Braves had been in the mix to sign Japanese star Seiya Suzuki, here is why that looks to no longer be the case.
Chase Irle of SportsTalkATL.com outlined three reasons it does not make a ton of sense for the Braves to pursue Suzuki any longer: The Marcell Ozuna contract, what Suzuki would potentially command on his first contract coming over from Japan and Atlanta’s current payroll limitations. Having Ozuna on the books really complicates things, as does Freddie Freeman being unsigned.
With teams like the San Francisco Giants reportedly interested in Suzuki, but not willing to pay more than $100 million for him, that almost certainly guarantees the Braves will be outbid by some other team, especially if they prioritize bringing back Freeman once the MLB lockout ends.
Why Atlanta Braves are not likely to sign Japanese OF Seiya Suzuki any longer
It really comes down to the simple principle that the Braves cannot make the money work for the Japanese star. Even if Ozuna is persona non grata, he is still under contract by the team. Ozuna playing another year with the Braves won’t land well with many people, but it is more likely to happen than not because of money. Of course, Freeman is the free agent everybody is watching.
Atlanta might be hung up on the sixth year, but Freeman doesn’t need to play for another franchise in his career. Who cares if he stinks in his late 30s? He will have earned every penny on that six-year contract. Braves Country could use him as a baseball ambassador for the next generation. While Suzuki has promise, it is undeniable what Freeman is as a baseball superstar.
The only way Suzuki ends up in Atlanta is if he signs a first contract for way less than $100 million.